Described as a “laboratory for future living”, the JCA Living Lab by J.C. Architecture is a regenerated Japanese Colonial residential house in Taipei that preserves its past while accommodating the modern-living needs of its occupants. Today, the project was announced as the 2019 World Interior of the Year at the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors in Amsterdam, following a final showdown between the nine category winners that were revealed yesterday. The JCA Living Lab won the Residential category.

Local craftspeople were brought in when needed and recycled elements were also incorporated into the design. The house combines traditional craftsmanship with modern detailing, like the hanging circular light in the living room, against a backdrop of preserved materials. A roof skylight shapes a path that acts as a guide for the entire house.

The configuration of the house was designed to be adaptable. Communal spaces like a kitchen, living room, and flexible areas for group gatherings were all added. The house also incorporates spaces for the residents' children to run around, while also providing room for respite.

“Ladders to the roof level encourage ongoing hide and seek. Internal space leaks into a garden, itself an outdoor room, whilst light penetrates in unexpected ways and occasional views of the sky offset the otherwise congested urban setting,” the INSIDE judges said. “Against the background of rapid development in Taipei, this project has the potential to be a 'prototype' that may help re-evaluate the existing stock of Japanese houses.” 

OHLAB's CAN BORDOY, a 24-room hotel in Palma de Mallorca, and Creative Crews' Classroom Makeover for the Blind in Pattaya, Thailand were highly commended for World Interior of the Year.

Over at the World Architecture Festival, which coincides with the INSIDE Festival, the LocHal Public Library was named the 2019 World Building of the Year. In 2020, both festivals will reconvene in Lisbon.